Roderick Roy Dayton passed away October 9, 2017. He was born July 06, 1935, to Roy and Clara Dayton in the small mining town of Isabella, PA. Upon his graduation from High School, Rod’s parents moved their family to St. Pete, FL, where he met and married the love of his life, Myrna Gardner. While spending 3 1/2 years in the Air Force, he took his bride to California. After serving his country, Rod and Myrna returned to Florida where Rod obtained his Master’s Degree from University of Florida School of Medicine in Radiation Biophysics. He earned this degree with support from Myrna, 2 young children and “one on the way”. Rod and Myrna’s youngest, Rick, was born 3 days before Rod’s graduation from graduate school. Rod then took his family to Ohio where he worked until retirement with Bicron Corporation. Rod had a space project which included the Gamma Ray Observatory with NASA and a patent that maybe one of his children (Rick) understand. Rod and Myrna returned to Gainesville when they retired.

A kind, gentle, and Christian, man, Rod was known to his family for his one liner’s, always reminding his children as they drove, “low and slow”. Rod’s sense of humor was loved by all.

Rod was preceded in death by his mother and father, his sister, Janet, brothers, Gene, Alan and Jim. His family includes two sisters Eleanor and Edith, his wife of 61 years, Myrna, Children Laura Cowles (Bruce), Amy Horwatt (Jim) and Rick Dayton (Paula), grandchildren, Andrea, Cortney, Ben, Beau, Hannah, Rory and Margot.

Services will be held at the Hawthorne First United Methodist Church Memorial Garden on Saturday October 21st at 10:00 am.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Memorial Garden, P.O. Box 458, Hawthorne, FL 32640